Twenty Love Songs
by Jazz the Wolf Demon
Summary: A series of twenty short works ranging in length and content featuring Sora and Riku. Written along with the updates of the LJ community 20Songs. SoraRiku: Their love is so Canon.
1. Amends

**A/N:** Welcome, good readers, to the first of 20 installments of Riku/Sora goodness. This will be updated as I update on the LiveJournal Community _20 Songs_, which is a low-stress fan/original fiction community where you can write or draw pieces about a couple or a single character, as long as each peice is written to or inspired by a song. It's a wonderful community for budding and veteran writers, and I would encourage anyone with a LiveJournal to join.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts. (I own both the games and guides, but alas, not the enterprise). They belong to Disney and square. I do not own the lyrics to _The Reason, _they belong to Hoobastank.

**WARNING: **This is a Slash piece. Otherwise known as yaoi, gay, boyxboy fiction. Although there is no sex involved, a romantic relationship between two persons of the male gender is implied. If this is not your cup of tea, I would suggest leaving now.

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**Amends**

* * *

_I'm not a perfect person_

_There's many things I wish I didn't do_

_But I continue learning_

_I never meant to do those things to you_

_And so I have to say before I go_

_That I just want you to know..._

Riku pressed his shoulder against the cold cement of the huge arching white door. The door to Kingdom Hearts. The door he was locking himself inside.

He pushed with all the strength still left inside of him, pushed until his muscles burned and his veins felt like they were on fire. But he kept on pushing, kept on straining, because he knew that however much pain he was in, Sora was in twice as much.

Sora, his small, optimistic friend who had fought so hard and been so good as to get his way to the light without hesitation. Sora, who had never faltered in his quest, was never tempted by the darkness, was struggling now to save the heart of all worlds. Sora, who had just fought against the treacherous creature called "Ansem" that had taken hold of Riku's own body and soul, who was exhausted and hurting and still trying to help others more than himself.

For Sora, if nothing else, Riku would overcome his own pains. For Sora, if nothing else, he would do the right thing.

_I've found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you..._

Riku had allowed himself to be used, allowed himself to be tricked and taken in.

There had been darkness inside him. A deep, aching darkness that stemmed from his desire to leave behind his childhood. He had become sick of lazy days and immature games. He wanted adventure and knowledge that could only be obtained by leaving behind everything he had known. He wanted to throw off the innocence that had bound him to that island, to those people and that life. He shook off that purity and embraced the uncertain haze of the future without a backward glance.

Riku had wanted answers to his questions without thinking or caring about consequences. And that alone made him fall into the darkness that had gripped him.

_I'm sorry that I hurt you_

_It's something I must live with everyday_

_And all the pain I put you through_

_I wish that I could take it all away_

_And be the one who catches all your tears_

_That's why I need you to hear..._

Sora, his best friend, had fallen as well. Through the hole that had devoured their world and thrust them into the unknown. But Sora, his best friend, was not corrupted by the wonder and power that came with going to another world. Newfound strength and knowledge and power...none of that could touch the light that glowed within that small, devoted heart.

He never realized it before. All their lives that they were together, Riku had always thought Sora to be weaker because he was younger and smaller. Sora was always second best, when in reality, he was the better of them. Maybe he had known it all along, and just didn't want to accept it. Maybe he had wanted to steal that innocence and goodness away from him. Maybe it was just because he had wanted to prove to himself and Sora that he was good enough.

So he accepted, without hesitation, the evil power that was offered to him. The Heartless, the Darkness, none of it matter if he could be stronger than he was. If he could outrun the fear and the feelings of inferiority. With that power, he made his friend suffer. He hurt Sora, pushed him away, and endangered Kairi -- an innocent in the power struggle of the two boys' relationship.

They had fought several battles, ones that bore no resemblance to the friendly competition they had always had growing up. Even when Riku was stronger and given more power, even with the Heartless on his side, Riku was defeated again and again. Until his body and heart were no longer his own. Until even Sora's voice, so welcome to his ears, could no longer reach him where he was.

_I've found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you_

_And the reason is you_

_And the reason is you_

_And the reason is you..._

Ansem was what he called himself. He had offered the power that Riku desperately sought. He had offered the answers Riku needed. A reason for being, a purpose in life. He offered him the ability to conquer Sora once and for all, to prove he was the best.

Ansem was what he called himself when he invaded Riku's body and soul. Ansem was who took his heart and used him as a weapon against the only people who meant anything in the world to him. Ansem was the one who tried to destroy everything.

But even after many battles. Even after so much trouble and pain, Sora kept coming for him. Sora believed in him, and called to him, and vowed to bring him back from the abyss.

So for Sora, if nothing else, he could close this fucking door once and for all.

_I'm not a perfect person_

_I never meant to do those things to you_

_And so I have to say before I go_

_That I just want you to know..._

Sora had freed him when he defeated Ansem, when the purity of light that spewed forth from Kingdom Hearts had bathed him in its glow. Riku was his own person again, with his body and heart intact.

It was almost funny, though. Half of him wanted to run scared because of the dark unknown behind him. Him! Who had faced darkness without a blink only days before was now suddenly scared to the bone. The other half of him was overjoyed because of that fear. Because he had a heart again, and could feel all those emotions. No longer was he made only of anger and hate.

For a long time he had thought that hate and anger would make him stronger, feed his power. For a long time, it did just that, but hate is always defeated. Even if the opponent is weaker and smaller and younger. If his love is greater than the hate, he would win. It was something that Riku learned from his best friend.

He would not let this lesson go to waste. He would not let down the only person who had believed in him, when all others had doubted.

Riku grasped the smooth, cold door to Kingdom Hearts, and pulled with all the strength of his body and heart.

There were bigger things at stake now than him and his issues, bigger worlds in danger than just his own.

There was Kairi, and their island to think about. There were the countless other worlds that he had touched with his malice. There was Sora, the boy who encompassed Riku's own world. Sora had brought him back, and now Riku would rescue him.

_I've found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you..._

Sora pushed from his side of the door. Riku could hear his strained breathing, the stretching of his muscles. Donald and Goofy pushed from their side of the door too, giving it their all. The three saviors of the worlds. His saviors.

King Mickey had appeared, to slay the demons of darkness that tried to stop them. He would help seal the door once and for all.

Riku pulled. Sora pushed. And the door began closing on its own.

There were only seconds now, Riku knew, before Sora was gone from his side, possibly forever. He looked through the closing crack in the door, panting lightly. Sora stared back at him, blue eyes wide and full of a thousand emotions. Sora had always been that way -- everything he felt was right there on his face and in his eyes. His face was dappled with sweat, and Riku knew that the labored breaths were from the battle as well as the struggle of closing the door.

Riku felt a tightening of his heart, of his chest. He wanted to say so many things. Expressions of gratitude, honor, love. He wanted to beg Sora to never let go of the light in his heart, never lose the goodness that made him what he was. Instead, all he could say was "Take care of her."

Kairi. Their pure-hearted, helpless friend. She needed Sora's help now, no matter how much Riku wanted to grab him and pull him into the door with him. No matter how badly Riku wanted Sora by his side, it was time that they part.

Until he was worthy of being at Sora's side, Riku would leave him. He would make amends, he would become stronger without darkness and tricks. He would become worthy of Sora's unrelenting faith.

_I've found a reason to show_

_A side of me you didn't know_

_A reason for all that I do_

_And the reason is you..._

It was Sora who saved him, Riku had no doubt of that.

Now it was time for him to show that his saving wasn't in vain.

The door closed, sealing, cutting him off from Sora. Riku took a step forward, faltered, and kept his back to the moving darkness. His heart grieved and felt truly defeated for the first time. But then he thought of Sora on the other side of that door, and he raised his head.

In his hand appeared a weapon.

He turned to face the darkness, and this time, he would bring the light.


	2. Necessary

**A/N:** Welcome to the second installment of 20 pieces featuring the couple Sora and Riku from _Kingdom Hearts_. As a reminder, this series is updated as I write them for the LiveJournal community _20 Songs_, a wonderful and supportive group foraspiring writers/artists.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from _Kingdom Hearts_ except in plushy form. One day it is my dream to own Riku. For now, I settle for dressing like him at Anime cons. I do not own the lyrics to the song _Wherever You Will Go_ because they belong to The Calling.

**WARNING:** This story is a work of Slash fiction, meaning it highlights to relationship of two boys. Read at own risk -- I will not be tolerant to homophobes or complaints about the content. You have been warned.

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**Necessary**

* * *

_So lately, been wondering_

_Who will be there to take my place_

_When I'm gone you'll need love to light the shadows on your face_

_If a greater wave shall fall and fall upon us all_

_The between the sand and stone could you make it on your own..._

When you're a kid and looking up at the stars, you never really wonder about what happens in those worlds or what kind of glory or horror that could mean. When you're a kid looking up at the stars, it's all awe and wonder. You see the pictures that you were told about in school, and you marvel at the brightness of something that's so very far away. They hold a kind of innocent allure. That's what I always thought when I'd lay on my back in the warm sand and stare up at the stars.

It wasn't until I started growing up that I began thinking about far-off worlds and great adventures. It wasn't until I started getting older that I began dreaming of great falls and huge waves, and the outstretched hand of someone I trusted. Sights that frightened me more than I could ever really say.

When you're a kid, your best friend is your best friend. You don't see him as something vital to your existence, you just see him as the guy that's always there to hang out with. He's the one you play games with and tell jokes to, the one to pick you up when you fall. It wasn't until I started growing up that I began seeing the person constantly beside me for what he was, necessary. But like most things that are taken for granted, I never truly understood this until he was no longer beside me.

But just because he was necessary to me, didn't make me necessary to him. He proved that when he forced me to fight him. Still, I wouldn't give up. I refused to believe that the person I needed most in this world would betray me so casually. So I fought him, and I chased him, and I freed him from his prison. But just as it had happened before, when I first began to understand how much he meant to me, Riku was gone.

It wasn't just betrayed or hurt feelings that motivated me, it was a deep desire of mine to simply be with him. My best friend through all things.

If I wasn't there with him, who would keep him grounded? Who would support him and hold him up when he was about to fall? What if that wave crashed over us again and I couldn't reach his hand?

What if he really didn't need me anymore?

_If I could, then I would_

_I'd go wherever you will go_

_Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go_

I began this journey for one reason, and one reason only: to find my best friend.

Heartless. Nobodies. Organization whatever. To hell with them all. If they get in my way, I'll beat them down. If they have information, I'll beat it out of them. It doesn't matter how long it takes or how many of them I have to kill. I will keep going until I find him.

Maybe it's a little selfish, considering I'm the one chosen by the keyblade. The world expects me to be this saintly hero who goes around, championing for the weak and downtrodden, but what do they really expect from me? I was locked away for over a year inside of an egg! I gave up that time from my life that I will never get back, time away from my home and my friends. I'm risking my life and my heart, time and again, all for the sake of the worlds. They have no right to tell me that I don't deserve the right to find him. To have him.

Riku is mine. He's always been the source of my strength, the person who always pushed me to do my best and fight for what I wanted. Sure, we were brats, so we fought and competed all the time, but that doesn't change what was between us. We have a bond that no one can break. Not even with a keyblade.

That's why, no matter where Riku goes, I'll follow. No matter what stands between us or how far the distance I need to cover can stretch, I won't break under the pressure. I'll keep fighting, keep walking, and I'll reach him.

_And maybe, I'll find out_

_A way to make it back someday_

_To watch you, to guide you, through the darkest of your days_

_If a greater wave shall fall and fall upon us all_

_Well then I hope there's someone out there_

_Who can bring me back to you_

Forgive me, Kairi. I can't keep my promise and come back to you. I can't go home without Riku. Maybe you want me to, but see, if I were to give up and just go home...I wouldn't be me. What is Sora without Riku? I'm only half of a person without him. I need him to be with me to be whole, to be the Sora you want me to be. One day I'll come back, but only if Riku is with me. I know you doubt him, doubt his heart because of what he's done in the past, but still hope I can find him. Believe that I'll find him. Please be patient and wait a little longer.

I never doubted Riku's heart, because I know it as well as I know my own. Riku was never truly evil. The darkness crept into his heart because he always has it open and accepting, because he is one of the few, brave people that can take in everything and not fear the change that comes with it. It's because he can't love or hate in halves. In his heart, he didn't see things in the way of black and white, good and evil -- he saw things in the way of discovery and experience.

That is simply how he is, how he's always been. Where I would hold back or get conned, he would always be rational and curious. I was a dreamer to Riku's doer. In some ways, the differences in our personalities is what made us so close. We balance each other out.

It was because I wasn't beside Riku that he got lost in the darkness. For those brief, flickering moments that would have made all the difference in the world, I was not by his side. I wasn't there to keep him grounded and make him feel needed. I was high on my own independence, on my own sense of adventure, and so he got lost in a search for new meaning.

I have to find him now, if only to reassure him that I am still a helpless idiot without him next to me.

_If I could, then I would_

_I'd go wherever you will go_

_Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go_

_Runaway with my heart_

_Runaway with my hope_

_Runaway with my love_

It's funny that when you're surrounded by people you can still feel all alone. That's what I feel like, hopping from world to world. I meet all these people and go on countless adventures, but all I can think about is how far I still have to go until I can find Riku. I start thinking that maybe it's a kind of test, making sure my heart is strong and constant and worthy. A lot of the time I think that I might not be good enough for him and that's why I can't find him.

Tell me it's not true. Someone, anyone.

If I had the power, I would be with him right this second. I don't care if I have to be a sidekick. I would love to have him make fun of me for the rest of my life. As long as it means hearing his voice and seeing his face. As long as Riku was there, I don't care what he would want to do to me. If it was up to me, I would be with him always. He is crucial to my world.

If there was one thing that I have learned by leap-frogging through the worlds in the past two years, it's that there is no such thing as one world. There are a billion different worlds out there, and not all of them are simply separate stars. Every living thing has its own world because every living thing has different components that make up their scope of the universe. Riku is one of the things that makes my world, that makes it worth living in my world.

He has a place in my heart, in my life, in my world. He has an important part of my love. Finding him is all that I hope for.

_I know now, just quite how_

_My life and love might still go on_

_In your heart, in your mind I'll stay with you for all of time_

_If I could, then I would_

_I'd go wherever you will go_

_Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go_

I don't think that I am smart enough to come up with clever words for a poem. I can play a mean air guitar, but I'll never write a song of my own. I can't paint a picture worthy of consideration. Fighting is the only art I have, the only way of expressing myself, and even that is a pretty sloppy way of telling someone how much they matter. Maybe if I was smarter or more talented, or just better, then Riku wouldn't have had to go away.

When I think like this, it gets hard to fake a smile for my friends. But I'll smile, and I'll fight, and I'll find him, because that's all that matters now. I just hope that he knows how much he means to me, and how much I need him. I just hope he can understand that he is my purpose and that he doesn't need to look for anyone else out there. I'm still here. I'll still go with you on whatever raft you build next. I'll even let you name it whatever you want.

It has always been the two of us against the world, right Riku? Ever since those days when we'd lay on the warm sand of our island and watch the stars come out. Remember the stories we'd tell, the huge plans we made. Some of that really did come true, even if we weren't together at the time. But we can be together now, until the end of things. You and me against the world again. That's what I want more than anything. More than the keyblade, more than defeating the darkness.

There will always be darkness because there will always be evil hidden among these worlds. But there is always light too, and I believe that my light comes from you, from knowing that you are always by my side.

So Riku, won't you come back to me? I've looked for you everywhere, and I'll keep on looking, no matter how long it takes. Just remember that, okay? Remember that I'm always with you, and I won't give up on you. Never.

When you're a kid, you never consider your best friend to be anything other than the kid who is always with you when you go out into the world. It wasn't until I grew up that I understood that my best friend is my world.

_If I could turn back time_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_If I could make you mine_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_I'll go wherever you will go_


	3. Vindicated

**A/N:** Okay, once more I am updating. This is a bit of an experiment that I have seen used by many other authors. The story-in-a-sentence technique -- basically, there is a mini-story that goes along with each lyric to the song _Vindicated_ by Dashboard Confessional. Some obviously go along with the lyric, some need a bit of interperetation -- some are just me dicking around. Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor anything by Dashboard Confessional. I am a sad, sad creature.

**Warning:** There is implied sexual content -- nothing explict, but still, grain of salt here, people. As always, yaoi-vision is on.

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* * *

**

**Vindicated**

* * *

_Hope dangles on a string_

The first time Riku tied the black strip of cloth over his eyes, he had a gnawing feeling in his gut that he would never have the chance to take it off again.

_Like slow spinning redemption_

He fought like hell to get where he was, until his hands could barely un-grip a sword handle and he could no longer feel his feet over the numbness crawling up his legs, but what made him different from those before him was that he kept fighting.

_Winding in and winding out_

Sora stood motionless as he watched the water move in and out across the shoreline, reminding him that each wave was another moment of life that was slipping through his fingers, but all he could do was smile.

_The shine of it has caught my eye_

As the they laid on the warm sand at sunset, Sora couldn't help but notice how the dying light shone across Riku's hair as it blew gently in the wind; it was better than any sunset could hope to be.

_And roped me in, so mesmerizing and so hypnotizing_

The first time Sora met Riku, he knew that there would never be another person he'd need to be with more.

_I am captivated_

Riku wondered why no one else could see the almost blinding light that came from Sora when he held a sword in his hand and wore a smile on his face.

_I am vindicated_

The task of proving one's worth cannot be measured by how many creatures they defeat or how much glory they receive, but how many souls they save.

_I am selfish_

More than once, Sora had to fight off the desire to forsake his duties to the Worlds and simply find his best friend.

_I am wrong_

It took losing his home, his friends, and his way in life to teach Riku that he was fighting a losing battle all along.

_I am right, I swear I'm right_

Sora held on to his hopes of finding Riku, knowing that if he let doubt cripple him, he's never be able to lift his Keyblade again.

_Swear I knew it all along_

Even though they hadn't touched in over a year, since the door closed in front of them, when their hands met in The World That Never Was, it felt like they had never been apart.

_And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well_

Sora had always played the role of the young sidekick, but now that he was on his own, he wondered about how Riku could have dealt with the pressure for so long.

_I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself_

All you need is one person to believe in you, one person to love you, and that can light the deepest darkness forever.

_So clear, like the diamond in your ring_

Holding a Keyblade was like holding another part of himself, like holding a missing piece of his heart; it only made sense that Riku could hold it too.

_Cut to mirror your intention_

Riku had never been scared of anything, until he woke up in another world after the storm, and Sora wasn't beside him.

_Oversized and overwhelmed_

Although Sora played at being cocky, at having a huge ego, it was only the bravado of a boy who desperately wanted to become a man, thinking that would help him reach his goals sooner.

_The shine of which has caught my eye_

At the end of the day, when they were alone together on the island, Riku would sometimes catch that glint in Sora's gaze that would have made him blush, if he wasn't so stoic.

_And rendered me so isolated, and so motivated_

When the door closed and Riku was left to darkness, he need only summon Sora from a memory in his mind, and he was rejuvenated.

_I am certain now that I am vindicated_

Riku would sometimes wonder how many popsicles it would take in order to make up for baiting Sora into a fight.

_So turn up the corners of your lips_

For Sora, being a clown was well worth the effort, if he could get Riku's smile to reach his eyes, if only for a moment.

_Part them and feel my fingertips_

Under the moon and stars, cloaked in the familiar darkness, the two boys knew their secret would be safe with the water and sand.

_Trace the moment, fall forever_

Ever since he was little, Riku had always had cold hands, so it was a lucky thing that he had Sora to warm them.

_Defense is paper thin_

Whispered refusals never lasted long when his hands touched exposed skin, and died when a heated mouth followed.

_Just one touch and I'll be in_

Sometimes they would sit side by side on the long-hanging palm tree, looking out over the water, with their fingers barely touching from where their hands rested, but that small contact was all they needed to know what the other was thinking.

_Too deep now to ever swim against the current_

It was an unspoken acknowledgment going back as long as either could remember, that they would never need another person as much as they needed one another.

_So let me slip away_

When Sora had the dream about Riku and the wave, he would always wake up shaking and scared; it was a lucky thing that Riku was there to comfort him.

_So let me slip against the current_

There were times that the loneliness and the not knowing got so bad that he wanted to quit, but when he thought back on that struggle, he just took Sora's hand.

_Like hope dangles on a string_

He felt like the prince from Sleeping Beauty, as he laid in wait for Roxas to appear, only he wouldn't get to kiss the princess awake.

_Like slow spinning redemption..._

Forgiveness is easily lost, but when freely given, makes a person over new.


	4. Bliss

**A/N: **Yay, here we go, the next part up and going. Remember to check out the 20 (underscore) Songs community on LiveJournal! (Also, thanks so much to those who have been reading these peices -- you guys are awesome!)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of the Kingdom Hearts franchise -- only the games and the ideas in my head. I also do not own any of the songs by Dashboard Confessional.

**Warning:** This one has a little more implied sex, just to give you a fair warning. (Yay!)

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* * *

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**Bliss**

* * *

_The signal is subtle_

_We pass just close enough to touch_

_No questions, no answers_

_We know by now to say enough_

_With only simple words_

_With only subtle turns_

_The things we feel alone for one another_

* * *

Bliss can be described with cool sand and the quiet sound of waves in the distance. It can be felt with fingers against bare skin, like the night air on heated flesh. It can be tasted in a kiss, on the lips of the person you love more than any other. It can be seen in moonlight shining over long hair, by eyes darkened with lust. It can be heard with breathy moans and the sliding of fabric as it is removed. It can be inhaled liked salty air and sweat and the slightest trace of soap still clinging to the skin. Bliss is a moonlight tryst, caught in the arms of the person you love more than any other, without anyone else ever knowing.

In the beginning, it was hard to get a minute alone together. It was such a happy surprise, their homecoming, and so everyone was all over them every minute of every day. In the beginning, they truly didn't mind, because they were just as overjoyed at being home. They could survive time apart, that was the easy thing. All they needed was to be within eyesight of each other. If their arms were to brush in passing, or their fingers to touch when they sat on the beach with the others, that tiny bit of contact was enough to sustain them for days.

They spoke their own language, words and phrases and meanings with a glance, a movement.

They were masters of pain, masters of time and control. They could last separation and they could last being together in front of others. It was hard, of course, but it was just one more of life's little tests.

They did this, endured it with smiles and cheerfulness, for one very simple reason. They were in love.

* * *

_There is a secret that we keep_

_I won't sleep if you won't sleep_

_Because tonight may be the last chance we'll be given_

_We are compelled to do what we must do_

_We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden_

* * *

Of course, bliss wasn't perfection.

They had to deal with the fallout of their secret. Sand burns, sand fleas, the risk of getting sick -- it got cold out there at night. Sometimes one couldn't get away, so the other would sit out on the island for hours in the middle of the night, waiting in vain. Sometimes little touches weren't enough, and they would snap at others around them. Sometimes the suspicions would follow them so strongly that they would have to stay apart for weeks, just to be safe. Judgement and disapproval were their greatest fear.

Things were different for them now. No longer were they heroes or warriors. They weren't above the cut anymore. They were normal teenaged boys now, and with that came the normal rules. With it came the normal expectations.

Boys fall in love with girls. Girls like Kairi. And she was willing, and there, and offering of herself and her love, but she was no longer enough.

Sometimes boys fall in love with other boys. It wasn't that they were trying to, or even wanted to; it just happened. It happened because there was no one else in the world who understood one of them as the other did. It was because they had their own language. It was because they healed each other's wounds. It was because they were in love, not because they were boys or girls, but because they were people.

Others wouldn't understand, their love was something wrong and forbidden. It was for that reason that, every few nights, they would paddle their small boats from one island to another, and meet beneath the bridge, behind the wooden door. It was for that reason that only the moon and the ocean could share their secret.

* * *

_So I won't sleep if you won't sleep tonight_

_Our act of defiance_

_We keep this secret in our blood_

_No papers or letters_

_We pass just close enough to touch_

_We love in secret names_

_We hide within our veins_

_The things that keep us bound to one another_

* * *

Being told not to do something never stopped either of them. In fact, like little kids, when told something was off limits, they would purposely go after it. Both of them would be drunk on adrenaline and high off of the thrill of almost being caught. They would take the dares, do the stunts, and if it came, take their punishments. Maybe it wasn't heroic, the way they had lived before, but it suited them. Always competitive, always eager for a new adventure. It was in their spirits, in their hearts and natures.

That was until they were pulled away from their carefree days and pushed into a struggle for their lives. No longer were they fighting for thrills and fun, but for lives and futures. And, always, for each other. They had been thrown around, beaten, battered, separated, and then thrown together again only to fight on some more. To their way of thinking, they earned their chance at happiness. A happiness they could only achieve by being together.

They would fight against anyone who tried to keep them apart, that was not a problem. They would be proud and defiant and stay together, but if they could help it, they would keep others from knowing. Let them live on in their happy ignorance, why spoil their conceptions and joy? It was _their _secret, something that belonged only to Riku and Sora.

Their love was something that never needed confirmation. They didn't get each other presents on anniversaries, or exchange valentines. They didn't write each other love letters or carve their initials into the trunks of trees, or even carve them on to the wall of the secret place. No, their love needed nothing superficial to survive. It was alive in them, burning in their eyes whenever they looked at once another, assured by a passionate kiss shared in shadow.

They were bound together by the darkness of their hearts, this drowning, consuming, devouring love that was more than awkward smiles and holding hands, more than sex and blood, more than promises of forever. One would not survive without the other. They were the darkness, the other side of the light that surrounded them on their island.

* * *

_There is a secret that we keep_

_I won't sleep if you won't sleep_

_Because tonight may be the last chance we'll be given_

_We are compelled to do what we must do_

_We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden_

* * *

When they were alone together on their nights of privacy, they barely spoke. It was all eager hands and mouths, heated blood and cold fingers. It was that desire to be as close to one another as they could get before their skin fused together. They wanted to be so close that they could no longer tell where Riku ended and Sora began. They wanted to be filled up by one another so completely that they would almost burst from it. Such a desire was something that kept the emptiness at bay, that feeling of being rejected and abandoned because they were no longer needed.

They were no longer heroes. No longer warriors. But, what were they now? Is it possible to go from that to nothing? Is it really possible to see what they saw, and pretend it didn't happen?

In the aftermath, exhausted and sated, they would lay in the sand, curled together, staring at the sky. Sometimes they would talk about which world they thought each star was, and sometimes they tried to guess where the castle was, and sometimes they didn't speak at all. Sometimes they just enjoyed the warmth lent by each other, the comfortable silence of the night that belonged to them alone.

When they slept, they slept together. When they woke, they woke together. Like one person. No one could tell them it was wrong, or that they couldn't do it, because then they'd do it anyway. It was in their nature.

* * *

_Until the last trace and this hope_

_Is frozen deep inside my bones_

_And this broken fate has claimed me_

_And my memories for its own_

_Your name is pounding through my veins_

_Can't you hear how it is sung?_

_And I can taste you in my mouth_

_Before the words escape my lungs_

_And I'll whisper only once more..._

* * *

Sometimes they'd be reckless, as boys were wont to do. Sometimes, in the middle of the day, they'd steal off to a dark corner for a moment of piece, but it was never long until they were being sought out again. Brief moments of stolen time were delights for them, a game. Every moment together gave them hope for the future, kept them going for a while longer. Their world was never changing -- the ocean, the islands, and the people -- but they were, and they had, and they would again.

Perhaps it could be futile to fight for such a feeling, to rely on such a love, but they didn't care. For too long, they had done things for the sake of everyone else, for the universe itself, it was time that they got something back. All they wanted was each other, was that so much to ask? All they wanted was to never be parted again. Even if they could only touch in passing, even if only they could steal a kiss in shadow every handful of days, it would sustain them.

Memory is the most precious thing to humans. They knew this lesson, because their memories had been taken, tampered with, and given back. It was something that they never wanted to happen again. In the times they were apart, when the memories that had chained two boys together had been broken, their lives had been hell. Promises weren't enough; it could happen again, against their will. So they enjoyed the time they had, made their vows to themselves rather than one another.

They were joined at the heart, something no one could ever put asunder. A lasting bond never to be broken by anyone or anything, not for the rest of days. Their secrets were theirs to keep, their bliss was theirs to find, and their battles would be fought together.

* * *

_There is a secret that we keep_

_I won't sleep if you won't sleep_

_Because tonight may be the last chance that we'll be given_

_We are compelled to do what we have to_

_We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden_

* * *

Bliss can be described with cool sand and the quiet sound of waves in the distance. It can be a childish kiss between two little boys that becomes a precious memory treasured in their hearts for many years. It can be watching the sunset with your two best friends beside you. It can be a whispered endearment given at a moment of climax. It can be knowing that the person you love, loves you every bit as much in return.

Love isn't always between a boy and a girl, sometimes it's between two people who need only a smile to be set free.

Light and darkness, right and wrong, reason and madness, all go out the door when love is involved. In the case of Riku and Sora, it is no different.

* * *

_'Cause you will be somebody's girl_

_And you will keep each other warm_

_But tonight I am feeling cold..._


End file.
